Wedding Invitation Wording: 30 Examples, Formal to Casual

Wedding invitation wording has more rules than any other invite, and most of them are optional. The formal lines exist for a reason, but a backyard wedding with 40 people doesn't need "request the honour of your presence".

So here are 30 examples, from the traditional wording your grandmother expects to the two-line text for a small ceremony. Pick the register that matches the day, swap in your details, and put a real reply-by date on it. At the end there's a note on what to include and how to collect the replies.

What every wedding invite needs

Whatever the register, guests look for these:

Who's getting married, and who is hosting (parents, the couple, both).
Date, ceremony time, and whether the reception follows right after or somewhere else.
The venue with the address. Two addresses if ceremony and reception differ.
Dress code, if you have one. "Cocktail attire" saves a lot of questions.
Kids: welcome, or adults only. Say it plainly and kindly.
A reply-by date, at least three weeks before the day. Caterers ask early.
Where to find the rest: hotel block, travel, registry. A website or a link, not the invite itself.

Formal wording, hosted by parents

Mr. and Mrs. [Parents' names] request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter [name] to [name], son of Mr. and Mrs. [parents' names], on Saturday, the fourteenth of June, two thousand twenty-seven, at four o'clock in the afternoon. [Venue], [city]. Reception to follow.
Together with their families, [name] and [name] request the pleasure of your company at their wedding on Saturday, June 14, 2027 at 4 pm. [Venue], [address]. Dinner and dancing to follow. Kindly reply by May 10.
[Parents' names] and [parents' names] invite you to share in the joy of the marriage of their children [name] and [name]. Saturday, September 5, 2027, half past three in the afternoon. [Church], [city]. Reception at [venue]. The favour of a reply is requested by August 1.
Mr. and Mrs. [Parents' names] request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter [name] to Mr. [name]. Saturday, May 23, 2027 at 2 pm, [venue], [address]. Reception immediately following. Please reply by April 20.
With joyful hearts, [parents' names] invite you to the wedding of [name] and [name] on Saturday, October 10, 2027 at 4 pm at [venue]. Cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow. Adults only, please. Reply by September 5.

The couple hosting

[Name] and [name] invite you to celebrate their marriage on Saturday, July 18, 2027 at 3 pm. [Venue], [address]. Dinner and dancing until late. Please reply by June 15.
We're getting married, and we'd love you there. [Name] and [name], Saturday, August 22, 2027, ceremony at 4 pm, party after. [Venue], [city]. Reply by July 20.
Join us as we say "I do". [Name] and [name], Saturday, May 16, 2027 at 2:30 pm at [venue]. Cocktail attire. Dinner to follow. Please RSVP by April 12 with any dietary needs.
After [number] years, we're making it official. [Name] and [name] invite you to their wedding on Saturday, September 26, 2027 at 3 pm. [Venue], [address]. Reply by August 22.
[Name] and [name], together with their children [names], invite you to celebrate their marriage. Sunday, June 7, 2027 at 1 pm at [venue]. Lunch to follow. Please reply by May 3.

Casual and small weddings

We're getting married in the backyard and you're invited. Saturday, June 20 at 4 pm, [address]. Ceremony, then BBQ and a lot of dancing. Reply by June 1.
Small wedding, big feelings. [Name] and [name] are tying the knot on Saturday, May 9 at 3 pm at [venue]. Dinner after, 30 people, no speeches longer than two minutes. Please reply by April 18.
No frills, just us and the people we love. Wedding at [address] on Saturday, August 8 from 3 pm. Food trucks, a playlist, and a very short ceremony. RSVP by July 18.
We eloped in spirit, then decided we wanted you there. [Name] and [name], Sunday, July 5 at 2 pm, [park name], picnic to follow. Bring a blanket. Reply by June 21.
Wedding in the woods. [Name] and [name], Saturday, September 12 at 4 pm, [venue], [directions]. Flat shoes recommended. Dinner by the fire after. Reply by August 15.
City hall at 11, lunch at [restaurant] at 12:30, drinks somewhere after that. [Name] and [name] are getting married on Friday, June 26. Come to all of it or some of it. Reply by June 12 so the restaurant knows.

Destination and weekend weddings

Pack a bag. [Name] and [name] are getting married in [place] on Saturday, October 3, 2027, with a welcome dinner on Friday and brunch on Sunday. Ceremony at 4 pm at [venue]. Travel and hotel details at [website]. Please reply by July 1 so we can confirm the block.
A wedding weekend by the sea. Friday, September 18: welcome drinks at 7. Saturday: ceremony at 5 pm at [venue], dinner and dancing after. Sunday: farewell brunch at 10. Reply by June 30 with the days you'll join.
Two nights in the mountains and one wedding. [Name] and [name], Saturday, July 25, 2027, ceremony at 3 pm at [lodge]. Rooms are held under our names until May 1. Please reply by April 30.
We're getting married abroad and we know it's a lot to ask. If you can make it to [city] for Saturday, June 13, 2027, we'd be over the moon. Ceremony at 4 pm, details at [website]. Please reply by March 1, early we know, the venue needs numbers.

Reception-only and evening invites

[Name] and [name] were married in a small ceremony on [date]. Please join us to celebrate on Saturday, August 29 from 6 pm at [venue]. Dinner, drinks, dancing. Reply by August 8.
The ceremony is family only. The party is for everyone. Join us from 7 pm on Saturday, June 27 at [venue] for drinks, cake and dancing. Reply by June 6.
Come to the evening do. [Name] and [name], Saturday, May 30 from 7:30 pm at [venue]. Cake at 9, band at 10. Please reply by May 9.
You're invited to the wedding reception of [name] and [name]. Saturday, October 17, 2027, 6 pm, [venue], [address]. Dinner is served at 7. Reply by September 19 with your meal choice.

Elopement announcement party

We eloped! Come celebrate with us anyway. Saturday, September 5 from 5 pm at [address]. Drinks, dinner, no ceremony, no speeches. Reply by August 22.
We got married in [place] on [date], just the two of us. Now we want a party with all of you. Sunday, July 12 at 2 pm, [venue]. Reply by June 28.
Married, finally, quietly. The loud part is on Saturday, October 24 from 6 pm at [address]. Come as you are. Let us know by October 10.

Short versions for the group chat

We're getting married! Sat June 20, 4 pm, [address], BBQ after. Reply here: [link]
Wedding weekend in [place], Oct 2 to 4. Reply with the days you can make: [link]
Small ceremony, big party. Sat Aug 29 from 6 pm at [venue]. Yes or no, and your plus-one's name: [link]

The events around the wedding

The wedding is one invite. Most couples send three or four more in the same year:

Engagement party. Casual, early, the first time both families meet. "We said yes! Join us for drinks on Saturday, March 14 from 7 pm at [address]. Reply by March 7." There's a free engagement party RSVP page.
Bridal shower. Usually hosted by a friend or the maid of honor. "A shower for [name] before the big day. Sunday, May 3 at 1 pm, [address]. Brunch and games. Reply by April 24." Use the bridal shower RSVP page.
Rehearsal dinner. Wedding party and close family, the night before. "Rehearsal at [venue] at 4, dinner at [restaurant] at 6:30, Friday, June 13. Reply by June 1." The rehearsal dinner RSVP page covers it.

RSVP lines that get answers

For weddings the reply-by date is not a suggestion. The caterer, the venue and the seating chart all hang on it:

"Kindly reply by May 10. The caterer needs final numbers on the 15th."
"Please reply with your meal choice: beef, fish or vegetarian."
"Reply with the names of everyone in your party so we can seat you together."
"Tap the link to reply. No account, no app, ten seconds."

Sending it

Here I'll be honest about what fits. For the casual end, the backyard wedding, the reception-only party, the elopement party, the engagement drinks and the rehearsal dinner, one link is enough. Guests reply with their name, add their plus-one, and answer a meal-choice or allergy question you set up. You see the count and the names as they come in, and nobody needs an account. You can make one here, it's free, and the RSVP hub has a page for each of the surrounding events.

For a formal wedding with 150 guests, a printed invitation still makes sense, and I'd keep it. What changes is the RSVP card. Instead of a stamped envelope that half the guests lose, print the link or a QR code on the card. The formal invite stays formal, and the replies land in one list instead of a drawer.

Congratulations, and may the seating chart be kind to you :)